Chicagoland has provided its telecommunication clients regulatory compliance services for over 15 years. Over the past several years, G2 Consulting has seen increased opportunities in the small cell sector of the telecommunications market as carriers attempt to keep up with the need for increased network capacity brought on by consumers’ ever-increasing demand for data on their mobile devices.
This is a dynamic area of the telecommunications business given that the deployment of small cell networks is a relatively recent development and we do anticipate carriers devoting more of their resources to expanding their small cell networks going forward. Further, the regulatory framework (National Environmental Policy Act) in place for years to address new cell tower development must also be applied to the small cells and it isn’t always a perfect fit. To that end, we have seen the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) working to streamline the regulatory process to fit the generally lower-impact of small cells with respect to NEPA concerns. G2 is currently working with our clients and awaiting interpretations from the carrier’s legal and regulatory departments to address the most recent attempts to streamline the regulatory process offered for small cell facilities as put forth by the FCC in August.
G2 always stays in front of new developments in the small cell sector. To that end, we are looking forward to attending the upcoming Above Ground Level conference in Chicago on October 4th. We hope to hear thoughts from the speakers as to where this sector is headed, as well as, their perceptions with respect to the recent regulatory changes and how the industry may incorporate these changes. G2 is always interested in bringing back information we can provide to our clients so they can make well-informed decisions on their projects.